Love, Learn, Play: a Simple Formula for a Happier, More Meaningful Life

WHY DOES HAPPINESS FEEL OUT OF REACH—EVEN WHEN LIFE APPEARS SUCCESSFUL ON THE SURFACE? Despite unprecedented levels of material success, billions today feel unfulfilled, anxious, and disconnected. In Love, Learn, Play, Akhil Gupta—former private equity leader turned global seeker—offers a radical yet deeply intuitive solution: real well-being arises when we engage our deepest human longings to love, to learn, and to play in whatever we do. Drawing from ancient spiritual traditions of all continents and centuries, modern psychology, and his own remarkable journey from boardrooms to classrooms, Gupta introduces the LLP framework—a simple, universal approach to living a life of happiness and meaning. With clarity and compassion, he guides readers to overcome false cultural narratives, reconnect with their authentic selves, and cultivate lasting inner peace and experience true joy. Irrespective of your endowments or circumstances, whether you’re a driven professional, a devoted parent, or someone simply questioning what really matters, Love, Learn, Play will challenge and inspire you to shift from striving to flourishing. This book is for anyone who senses that life offers more than just achievements—and is ready to embark on a path of wholeness, fulfillment, and joyful presence. WHAT THIS BOOK OFFERS • A simple framework for human flourishing built around love, learning and play • A bridge between Eastern wisdom and modern scientific research on happiness and meaning • A critique of false cultural narratives around success, wealth, status, achievement and consumerism • Reflections on happiness, meaning, selfhood, culture, relationships, work and parenting • Insights from philosophy, spirituality, psychology, neuroscience and lived experience • Endorsements from leading voices at Harvard, Stanford, Blackstone, Costco, Acumen and McKinsey